Someone is in their pants bouncing up and down on the sofa, shouting for cereal and genuinely loving life.

Someone else lies on the floor, eyes closed, praying for the bedtime gods to step in and make it all stop.

Another person runs from room to room in the dimly-lit house, frantically tidying away toys, heating up milk, running the bath.

Millions of parents know and love (or perhaps not) that last stretch of the day before their child’s bedtime.

While mums and dads crawl to the finish line, daring to dream of the moment they get to sit down and watch Netflix with a gin and tonic, their beloved little folk somehow get a second, rather incredible, burst of life.

But just when you think it’s game over, in steps Tom:

“Hello,” says the actor, “I’m Tom.”

For seven whole minutes the room is transfixed by Hollywood star Tom Hardy’s intense but soothing voice. And his choice of pyjamas.

It’s the CBeebies bedtime story.

And it may have just saved bedtime.

How one superhero reader sent mums (and dads) into meltdown

A-lister upon A-lister has taken on bedtime reading duties on CBeebies each night.

From actors and rock stars to sportspeople and scientists, there have been some eye-opening celebrity readers in recent years.

CBeebies bedtime story tonight is being read by Tom Hardy. Overheard the better half saying to the daughter that she thinks he’s quite diahy. Daughter replied “but he’s not as handsome as daddy is he mummy?”

Hardy’s been back four more times – including on Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

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His appearance on 14 February was last year’s most watched bedtime story, with a TV audience of nearly 600,000.

This year’s most popular episode, with more than 400,000 TV viewers, was Doctor Who actress Sharon D Clarke who read a book on singer Ella Fitzgerald as part of Black History Month.

“It’s wonderful to be able to please two – or more – generations in one viewing,” says Claire.

“The children are soothed by a story that marks the end of their day and the grown-ups are wowed and amazed at seeing their favourite celebrity or hero doing something so unlikely.”

The CBeebies team tries to pick “a strong mix of male and female role models” who’ll be entertaining and engaging.

Claire says they’re grateful for “the Tom Hardy effect” and they love the comments “that come flooding in” each time a new celeb is announced.

How do they choose who reads what?

The programme producers have the final say – but stars are asked if they have family favourites they’re keen to read so they’ll be read “from the heart”.

Three of pet-lover Hardy’s five stories were about dogs and he even brought his pet pooch Woody along for filming.

Stories are usually filmed at CBeebies House in Salford’s MediaCity but sometimes they’re on location. Dolly Parton was filmed in Nashville.

Claire says: “It’s amazing how nervous even the biggest of stars are at first. They’re totally out of their comfort zone so we tell them to imagine they’re reading to one child, perhaps their own.

“I remember pinching myself asking David Hasselhoff to make a ‘brum brum’ noise when playing with a toy tractor; asking Tom Hardy if he would mind cuddling up to a fluffy toy dog and getting Jessica Ennis-Hill to say ‘On your marks, get set, go!’ It can be very surreal.”

Shoots can take up to four hours and all readers get the same fee, which is often donated to charity.

What did the biggest stars read?

Sir Elton John – The Dog Detectives: Lost in London by Fin and Zoa, and illustrated by Monika Suska. The singer wanted to read a “London-based book”

Dolly Parton – Dog Loves Books, written and illustrated by Louise Yates, which is the story of a book-loving pooch who opens his own book shop